Well the Cubs are basically requesting of teams that they "take whatever they want'' when it comes to a potential Samardzija deal.

That may be a slight exaggeration but not much.

The Cubs like Samardzija (6-9 3.94 with more than a strikeout an inning) so much that it's hard to see them doing a deal. The only reason they're looking around at all is that Samardzija has shown little interest yet in doing a long-term deal at least not one in the ballpark of what the Cubs offered.

Another thing they love about Samardzija is his supreme confidence which is manifested in his reluctance to sign an early deal. He loves Chicago (he's from northern Indiana) but he also apparently relishes the idea of free agency after 2016.

The Diamondbacks are one team that's shown interest in Samardzija but there are apparently several others.